Handscomb debuts, handed gloves for T20

Australia have capped Peter Handscomb in the opening T20 international against India in Vizag, and installed him as wicketkeeper with vice-captain Alex Carey sidelined for the first game of this two-match series.

Australia captain Aaron Finch won the toss and opted to bowl first in the first match of this Qantas Tour of India that also includes five ODIs. 

Handscomb kept wicket for the Melbourne Stars in this summer's KFC BBL season, scoring 193 runs in nine innings with a strike-rate of 128.66 compared to Carey's 329 runs in 12 matches at 27.41 and a strike rate of 120.07. Carey had 11 dismissals, Handscomb six.

There is no spot in the XI for Usman Khawaja either, who played just the one T20 match in this summer's BBL.

Pat Cummins and Jhye Richardson lead a pace bowling attack that also features Nathan Coulter-Nile and Jason Behrendorff, with Adam Zampa winning the nod as a spinner ahead of Nathan Lyon.

Kane Richardson joins Carey, Lyon and Khawaja on the bench by the Australians.

India hand a debut to Mayank Markande, the 21-year-old leg-spinner, as part of a three-man spin attack also featuring Krunal Pandya and fellow leggie Yuzvendra Chahal.

Captain Virat Kohli said he would have also opted to bowl first - unsurprising given his incredible record in run-chases - but a cracked and dry surface should aid his spinners. KL Rahul gets a game at the top with Shikhar Dhawan rested for this opening match.

Australia have not played a T20 international since November, when they lost to India in Sydney to draw the Gillette Series 1-1, but their squad is brimming with players who have dined out on BBL cricket this summer.

Nine of the 15 players played 11 or more BBL|08 matches and Finch says it's a good opportunity for those players to continue their prolific T20 form.

"Everyone who's here has played a significant role in their BBL franchises or in the Test series just completed," Finch said. 

"It's a good opportunity to play some T20 cricket, especially here against India who are quality in their own conditions, and everywhere to be fair. 

"But after having a really good stint of T20 it's not often that we get a chance to prepare and have a tournament lead-in into international games."

Australia: Aaron Finch (c), D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Handscomb (wk), Ashton Turner, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, Adam Zampa.

India: R Sharma, L Rahul, V Kohli, R Pant, MS Dhoni, D Karthik, K Pandya, U Yadav, Y Chahal, M Markande, J Bumrah

Qantas tour of India

First T20: February 24, Visakhapatnam

Second T20: February 27, Bengaluru

First ODI: March 2, Hyderabad

Second ODI: March 5, Nagpur

Third ODI: March 8, Ranchi

Fourth ODI: March 10, Mohali

Fifth ODI: March 13, Delhi